<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>I think I seriously underestimated the importance of *comfort*<p><hr></blockquote><p>The new mustang is *not* comfortable.<br><br>In fact I'd have to say that Ford simply designed the exterior of the car and damn anything else important, it must look "retro" at all costs.<br><br>I drove one around for a few days down in Florida about a month ago. I thought "sweet" when I was walking towards the rental stall. That quickly changed to "damn I hate this car" in about 5 minutes time.<br><br>First, to even belt up, unless you're 7 feet tall and sit in the rear seat to drive, you have to somehow turn damned near completely around in the seat to reach the seatbelt since the pillar is about a FOOT BEHIND you. I suppose a person could grab the seatbelt on their way into the car, but I don't give any breaks to piss poor ergonomic design. 4 doors would actually be a GOOD thing on this car.<br><br>Secondly, the car has the worst visibility of any car I've ever driven, which includes old mustangs. The windshield is so squashed you can barely see out of it. <br><br>Third, the interior is complete plastic. Cheap plastic. So cheap they don't even bother trying to make it look good plastic. The damned shift lever is plastic, halfway molded to look like an old hurst shifter you'd find in the old mustangs. The steering wheel is plastic, molded to "look" like the old tri-spoke wheels. But here's the kicker, any part that was chrome metal on an old mustang isn't even fake chrome, it's cheap silvery grey paint. Did I mention cheap? Oh yeah, and then there is the CHEAP feel to the whole interior. Did I say cheap? I forgot. Look, just about any car you buy now has plastic all throughout the interior. But I'll never complain that my Altima's interior is cheap again. Compared to the Mustang, it's the damned Taj Mahal. At least Nissan tried to make it halfway decent (and the latest ones acutally have a great interior).<br><br>Lastly, I suppose because it was an automatic and my car is a stick, it felt completely anemic, even though it was an 8 cylinder car. When I hit the gas in my Altima, the car is effortless in it's acceleration. So much so it gets scary quick. The mustang felt like there was a ton of power getting sapped away. I have a real desire to race these mustangs for pink slips because I'd win every single time. The problem is I wouldn't want to win one of the things!<br><br>Sorry if I burst any bubbles you had ;)<br><br>**edit - Oh yeah, the stereo sucked too. I'm sure the rental cars don't buy the best stereos but it could have been way better.<br><br><br><br>Hey I'm an F'n Jerk!®<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by SgtBaxter on 12/15/06 06:46 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor Company released a statement today calling reports that the company would make four-door variants of its Mustang sports car "not true."<br><br>"The Mustang is an icon and will continue in its current form: a unique two-door, rear-wheel drive, 2+2 performance car," the statement says.<br><br>_______<br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Honda Civic is good on gas and will most assuredly go for at least 200,000 miles, but I think I seriously underestimated the importance of *comfort* over a 2-year period while commuting 60 miles a day. That, and having to wave people around you on the highway because it takes 20 minutes to get up to 65mph.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Ya know Pete, not all Civics are dead sleds. The 2006 Civic was redesigned from the ground up and the Si model inherited the K20 engine previously found in the Acura RSX type S. It's not as torquey as many of the other cars mentioned in this thread but at 200 HP it is plenty fast for a car of that weight. <br><br>And fun? Look at the slalom specs for this car! Few can touch it in this realm.. This car provides real world fun on a twisty country road. The thing screams after the vtec crossover-- all the way up to 8,000 rpm and it sounds great doing it. It's sort of having an Indy car tuned for reality. <br><br>Yeah it would be nice to be able to go from zero to sixty in under five seconds, but I'll gladly settle for a time under seven seconds if it means better fuel economy and lower insurance rates.<br><br>Here are a couple snaps:<br><br><br><br><br><br>It's got a 360 watt sound system with a line-in for my iPod and a Navigation system. Fun fun fun. Girl car? I'm pretty secure. <br><br><br>

Comfort is why I love my Magnum. If I want to kick it in the teeth, I can. If I want to haul 5 people and cargo I can. But best of all (besides the fact that it is fun to drive) it has the Mercedes undercarriage and leather seats. It's like driving a limo every day and my passengers always comment too. I do say I really like the latest body styles of the new Mustangs but I like the look of my car better. I can't imagine driving anything else. A little trivia. Did you know the Magnum is actually 2" shorter than the Charger? I love my car like I love my Mac.<br>BTW we have over 24,000 miles on it and no major repairs.<br><br><br><br>oh yeah, that's going in the blog

Ya know Pete, not all Civics are dead sleds.<br><br>I may give the Si model a look - if it's got ample head & leg room, as well as decent acceleration, it'll go into the mental file as a possibility.<br><br><br>

Well, so much for the Mustang - we wound up at the Honda dealership on Saturday and I'm now on the verge of upgrading my '04 Civic LX to an '07 Civic EX with XM radio, navigation and a sunroof...<br><br>Got a nice figure on my trade-in, which helped the decision... Filled out all the paperwork on Sat, and will be going back for a test-drive on Tuesday night. Trying to decide if the navigation & XM is worth it - only about $20 more a month...<br><br>The horsepower is a big step over my current model, so I'm assured at least a little more 'giddy-up'. But, we shall see...<br><br>

why not step up to the Accord? We have a 2003 and love it.<br><br>Oh...and I bet the 2006 models are going at a good price plus they tend to have better warranties. This truck I have will be the last new vehicle I ever get.

I had a figure I was looking to keep my monthly payment at, and the Accord just didn't fit under the cap. For the price of the Civic, however, I get a lot more extras as well as comparable head room & comfort. At least it was comparable for someone of my size. <br><br>Who knows, I haven't committed yet - still have yet to test drive... <br><br>

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